Robertson hoping to bow out on a high with Olympic badminton gold in London

Nathan Robertson is proving that there is life after Gail Emms as he and his new mixed doubles partner, Jenny Wallwork, set their sights on the London Olympics.

The 33-year-old badminton star might be forgiven for thinking he has achieved everything in his sport, with the 2012 Games set to be his swansong.

After all, Robertson, who is hoping to qualify for a fourth successive Olympics, took silver with Emms in 2004 in Athens, the world gold and Commonwealth gold in 2006 and then, after Emms retired following their quarter-final exit at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Commonwealth mixed silver with Wallwork in Delhi last October, as well as a mixed men’s doubles silver.

‘Gail was a hard act to follow, but Jen’s doing a great job and is improving all the time,’ he said.

‘Already this year we’ve reached the final of the Swiss Open to follow on from Delhi and, although we’ve dipped a little, we got up to No 5 in the world.

‘We have the world championships in August at Wembley Arena and, apart from it being a major tournament in its own right, it will also serve as a dry run for the Olympics, which are being staged at the same venue.

‘Our goals are simple. First, ensure we are in the top 13 pairs in the world to guarantee qualification for the Games, then get into the top eight to obtain a seeding. After that, we’ll have to wait and see. Right now, the prospect of us winning gold is unlikely but not impossible. The Olympics is a one-off. It all depends on who finds their best form in the week.

‘Jen is already world class and I’m excited about how much better she will be by the London Games. I’ve won nearly everything there is to win in my sport, but in my dream scenario I will win my first Olympic gold medal in London then call it a day.’

Fresh face: Nathan Robertson and Jenny Wallwork have teamed up ahead of London 2012

The silver he achieved with Emms seven years ago has provided mixed emotions for Robertson. The pair entered the Games with an outside chance of a medal, but then came within three points of claiming gold in a final that brought much of Britain to a standstill.

‘We weren’t fully aware of the interest back home when we played that final. It was a great achievement to have reached the final stage, but having gone that far, our aim then was to become Olympic champions.

‘We failed and for a year or two it really hurt, but then we won the world title in 2006 and enjoyed a period of time when we were almost unbeatable. Now I look back on Athens with a great deal of satisfaction.’

Robertson, who will be handing out prizes at the Center Parcs National Schools Championships, is preparing for one last hurrah at a sport which, domestically, he has made his own over the past ten years. He has reduced his commitments to just the mixed doubles for London and says that after 2012 his career will end.

‘I couldn’t imagine me wanting to raise a racquet again in anger after London and, besides, what better way to bow out of the sport than competing at your home Olympics.’